ERIC Number: EJ1418656
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: EISSN-1939-0599
Available Date: N/A
"Honestly, They Are Just Like Us": U.S. Parents Choose Middle-Class Gender and Racial Ingroup Peers for Their Children
Laura Elenbaas; Aline Hitti; Ellen Kneeskern; Amanda Ackerman; Kayla Fisher; Jason Cao; Charlotte Irwin
Developmental Psychology, v60 n4 p637-648 2024
Children and adolescents benefit from positive intergroup peer interactions, but they are unlikely to have many opportunities for these interactions if their parents are uncomfortable with them. Drawing primarily on social identity theory (SIT), this study investigated how U.S. parents' (N = 569) comfort with their children's potential intergroup peer interactions (a) differed by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and social class (higher-, middle-, or lower-subjective social status), (b) changed over the transition from childhood to adolescence (8-10, 11-13, and 14-16 years), and (c) varied by context intimacy (hanging out vs. sleeping over). The sample was equally balanced between parents of children reflecting those same group memberships. Consistent with SIT, when asked to choose, parents were typically most comfortable with their child spending time with middle-class peers who shared their child's gender and racial ingroup membership. Moreover, parents often explained their decisions with reference to similarities between these peers and their own child or family. Parents' comfort did not differ systematically by child age, but many parents were less comfortable with cross-gender peer interactions in the more intimate sleepover context than the less intimate hangout context. All groups of parents also exhibited at least some openness to cross-group interactions. These findings advance developmental scientists' understanding of parents' roles as potential facilitators or gatekeepers of their children's intergroup peer interactions.
Descriptors: Group Membership, Racial Identification, Peer Relationship, Children, Adolescents, Gender Differences, African Americans, Whites, Racial Relations, Social Class, Social Differences, Parent Attitudes, Parent Role, Parents, Friendship
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A